FRISCO, Texas — As if there were any extra needed motivation, Austin FC and FC Dallas started the social media banter ahead of their first matchup of the 2022 season.
Austin FC took the first Twitter jab Wednesday morning, posting a video of them "unfollowing" FC Dallas with the caption "We've been looking forward to this..."
In a cheeky comeback, FC Dallas took screenshots from every FC Dallas-Austin FC match posted from Austin's account and fired a tweet right back at them. The tweet showed the Austin FC social media posts of three scores from their inaugural season:
- FC Dallas 2, Austin FC 0
- FC Dallas 5, Austin FC 3
- FC Dallas 2, Austin FC 1
In the first season of meetings between the two teams, Austin FC failed to beat FC Dallas at all.
In 2021, FC Dallas was 3-1-2 "Texas Derby" matches (games against Austin FC and Houston Dynamo FC), with the lone loss coming at the hands of Houston Dynamo in September 2021.
Starting in the 2021 season, Texas' three MLS teams competed for the Copa Tejas trophy, a supporter-based competition among the different soccer clubs in Texas. It was established in 2019 with USL Championship clubs, but then expanded to include an MLS division with Austin FC, FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo FC in 2021.
In 2021, the final matchup between FC Dallas and Austin FC did not have playoff implications, but the Copa Tejas was still up for grabs between the two clubs. As mentioned above, FC Dallas won and ultimately won the first inaugural MLS Copa Tejas trophy. The trophy was unveiled before the match in Toyota Stadium.
In 2022, the dynamic is much different. FC Dallas and Austin FC are both competing for a playoff spot toward the top of the Western Conference.
So far, FC Dallas and Austin FC are 1-0 in 2022 Texas Derby matches, both securing victories over Houston Dynamo FC. Saturday's match will give the winner a stronghold on the track to Lone Star bragging rights in 2022.
Let the games begin.